| The following are some of the main ways | | | | Pros |
| Independent Sales Reps or Sales Agents can be | | | | - Have a professional working to meet your specific |
| found: | | | | needs |
| 1. Online Services. | | | | - Pre-screen cuts down on the extent of the |
| There are several online services that provide | | | | interviews necessary |
| cost-effective access to Independent Sales Reps. | | | | - Have been known to be able to provide excellent |
| Try searching "Independent Sales Reps" on Google to | | | | candidates |
| easily find some of the most prominent ones. | | | | Cons |
| Pros | | | | - Can be quite expensive; as with typical staffing |
| - Low cost | | | | agencies, may cost from 25% to 40% of first year's |
| - Effective | | | | compensation of the rep |
| - Get in contact with reps in your industry looking for | | | | - More oriented towards employed sales reps, not |
| lines | | | | independent sales reps |
| Cons | | | | - Can take a very long time |
| - May not always be able to find what you are | | | | 4. Advertise |
| looking for | | | | Use Craigslist, on-line job boards, or classified sections |
| 2. Trade Shows | | | | of newspapers. |
| Visit regional and national regional trade shows to | | | | Pros |
| meet Independent Sales Reps and Sales Agencies. Or | | | | - Low cost in some cases such as Craigslist |
| set up a booth at a trade show and post in your | | | | Cons |
| booth a "Sales Representatives Wanted" ad. | | | | - While advertising routes may appear simple and |
| Pros | | | | inexpensive, be prepared for their hidden costs and |
| - Low incremental cost if you are already attending | | | | time delays |
| such trade shows | | | | - To use them effectively, you will need an |
| - Good attendance by reps in your industry | | | | appropriate level of Human Resources staffing to |
| Cons | | | | screen a potential deluge of resumes, reduce their |
| - May be expensive if you are not already attending | | | | number by a factor of as much as a hundred or |
| such shows | | | | more, finally leading to phone and possibly in-person |
| - Can be time consuming | | | | interviews |
| - Shows not always readily accessible; may have to | | | | - Advance staffing may be necessary to plan your |
| wait quite a while for the right show | | | | recruiting campaign |
| 3. Consultant | | | | - Need to budget sufficient time and resources over |
| Employ or engage a consultant to act as a Sales | | | | and above the up-front advertising expense for this |
| Manager whose job it is to select, engage and train | | | | staffing |
| your National Sales Force. | | | | - Newspaper advertising can be quite expensive. |